What U.S. cities have the highest credit card debt?
If Mississippi residents are like most Americans, they have some sort of credit card debt. In fact, data from the Federal Reserve shows that U.S. credit card debt exceeded $1 trillion in 2017, which is the highest in history.
A recent study by CreditCards.com analyzed financial data from America’s 25 most populous metropolitan areas. It then ranked each city by the amount of credit card debt its population carried and its debt burden in relation to its median income. The study found that the top five cities with the highest average debt are Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, New York, Houston and San Antonio, which have debt averages ranging from $7,442 to $7,070 per person. The next five cities on the list are Baltimore, Atlanta, San Diego, Seattle-Tacoma and Denver, which have debt averages ranging from $6,985 to $6,720 per person.
To determine each city’s debt burden, the study calculated how long it would take a person to pay off the city’s average credit card debt while earning the city’s median income. The study found that the cities with the heaviest debt burdens are San Antonio, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Houston, Los Angeles and Dallas. The cities with the lowest debt burdens are Seattle, Washington, D.C., Boston, Minneapolis and San Francisco. It would take someone living in San Antonio, the city with the highest debt burden, 22 months to pay off their debt. Meanwhile, someone from San Francisco, the city with the lowest debt burden, could pay off their debt in just 13 months.
Some people have difficulty paying off their credit card debt. When this happens, bankruptcy may be the best option. Individuals facing financial challenges might benefit by discussing their situation with a bankruptcy attorney.
